Economy

mahatmakanejeeves

(69,450 posts) Tue Mar 17, 2026, 09:21 PM 7 hrs ago

BLS Report: January job openings and total separations change little; hires unchanged

Last edited Tue Mar 17, 2026, 09:55 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm still editing this. My tablet wants to change existing words to words it understands, so I' be on a laptop for further editing.

People come; people go.

This is JOLTS, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. It used to come out a few days after the monthly payroll employment report, but now it seems to be released right at the end of the month or right at the beginning of the month. The shutdown has made the timing offbeat.

The number of quits indicates how confident people are of finding another job if they leave the one they have.

January job openings and total separations change little; hires unchanged
The number of job openings was little changed at 6.9 million in January. Hires were unchanged at 5.3 million while total separations changed little at 5.1 million. Annual levels and rates for 2025 are now available.

Economic News Release USDL-26-0439
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, March 13, 2026
Technical information: (202) 691-5870 • JoltsInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/jlt
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – JANUARY 2026

The number of job openings was little changed at 6.9 million in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires were unchanged at 5.3 million, while total separations changed little at 5.1 million. Within separations, quits (3.1 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.6 million) changed little.

This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, by region, and by establishment size class. This release also includes 2025 annual estimates for job openings, hires, and separations. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the month. Hires and separations include all changes to the payroll during the entire month.

Job Openings

The number and rate of job openings were little changed at 6.9 million and 4.2 percent, respectively, in
January. The number of job openings increased in finance and insurance (+184,000). (See table 1.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
| Changes to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Data |
| |
|Effective with this release, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) estimates will |
|incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment data and the JOLTS |
|seasonal adjustment factors. Not seasonally adjusted data and seasonally adjusted data from January|
|2021 forward are subject to revision. |
|___________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Hires

In January, the number and rate of hires were unchanged at 5.3 million and 3.3 percent, respectively.
Hires decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-67,000) and in real estate and rental and
leasing (-20,000). (See table 2.)

Separations

Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are generally
voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of
workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated
by the employer. Other separations include separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers
to other locations of the same firm.

The number and rate of total separations in January were little changed at 5.1 million and 3.2 percent,
respectively. The number of total separations decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities
(-79,000) and in federal government (-10,000). (See table 3.)

In January, the number of quits was little changed at 3.1 million. The quits rate, at 2.0 percent, remained
unchanged. The number of quits increased in private educational services (+16,000). (See table 4.)

In January, the number and rate of layoffs and discharges changed little at 1.6 million and 1.0 percent,
respectively. Layoffs and discharges decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-55,000).
(See table 5.)

The number of other separations changed little at 337,000 in January. (See table 6.)

Establishment Size Class

In January, establishments with 1 to 9 employees and establishments with 5,000 or more employees
showed little or no change in job openings, hires, and separations rates. (See table 7.)

December 2025 Revisions

The number of job openings for December was revised up by 8,000 to 6.6 million, the number of hires
was revised down by 21,000 to 5.3 million, and the number of total separations was revised down by
48,000 to 5.2 million. Within separations, the number of quits was revised up by 21,000 to 3.2 million,
and the number of layoffs and discharges was revised down by 96,000 to 1.7 million. (Monthly revisions
result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published
estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors. The annual revision process also contributed to
the December revisions)

Annual Levels and Rates

Consistent with BLS practice, annual estimates are published for not seasonally adjusted data each year
with the January news release. For details about how these estimates are calculated, see the technical
note.

In 2025, the annual average job openings level was 7.1 million, a decrease of 571,000 from 2024. The
annual average job openings rate was 4.3 percent in 2025, compared to 4.6 percent in 2024.
(See tables 15 and 16.)

In 2025, the annual hires level was 63.0 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from 2024. Annual total separations decreased by 251,000 in 2025 to 62.8 million. Annual quits decreased by 1.3 million in 2025 to 38.0 million and accounted for 60.6 percent of total separations. Annual layoffs and discharges increased by 1.2 million in 2025 to 21.2 million and accounted for 33.8 percent of total separations. Annual other separations decreased by 224,000 in 2025 to 3.5 million and accounted for 5.6 percent of total separations. (See tables 17 through 26.)

The annual average hires rate for 2025 was 3.3 percent, down from 3.4 percent in 2024. The annual average total separations rate for 2025 was 3.3 percent and was unchanged from 2024. The 2025 annual average rates for the components of total separations were 2.0 percent for quits, 1.1 percent for layoffs and discharges, and 0.2 percent for other separations. (See tables 17 through 26.)
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for February 2026 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).